From Cookie-Cutter to Custom: Spicing up the Kitchen with Decorative Molding

Our kitchen cabinets really aren’t half bad, but they never quite looked finished, so I wanted to add some decorative molding to spice things up a bit. I started with a small trim around the bottom, which helps disguise the undermount LED lights I installed a while back. I then put my compound meitering abilities to the test with some picture frame molding on the ends of the cabinets. It was a solid B+ result. I also added a large piece of trim over the sink.

Finally, I tackled the crown molding around the top of the cabinets. Not easy. I had to build a pretty elaborate support system, so I’d have something to nail the crown molding into. While most renovation projects take at least 10 times longer than I plan, I was actually able to knock out the support system in just a couple hours. Yes, I’m bragging. My support system is awesome.

My neighbor Deepak helped with the crown molding and voila! From outdated to renovated… the customized cabinets look great. Up next… PAINT!

14 thoughts on “From Cookie-Cutter to Custom: Spicing up the Kitchen with Decorative Molding”

Hi there! love how your cabinets are looking. I’m going to do this before I stain my cabinets. I think I will also have to do the support system. How did you know what angle to cut the support board ends at? Depending on the moulding, all of the angles could differ so I’m just wondering how you figured that part out. Thanks!

Thanks so much! I was really happy with how they turned out. I just went with a 45 degree angle. That worked for my molding. If yours is a different angle, I’d recommend cutting a thin slice of your molding and then tracing it onto another small piece of wood (like a section of 2×4). Then, you could use the line drawn on that piece of wood to line up and set the angle on your compound meiter saw. All that being said… I think most molding is 45 degrees, so hopefully it won’t be too complicated!! Good luck and let me know how it turns out!

Thanks Annie! Have you written a post on painting your cabinets yet? I noticed in pics that you painted them white but couldn’t find a posting on it. Would like to include a link on my blog since I stained mine, but what if a reader wants to paint them white… ;)

Hey Annie, where did you buy the moldings for the top of your cabinets? Did you use crown from Home Depot/Lowe’s? I guess there are some molding shops in town with elaborate detailed moldings. I don’t think I need anything too fancy.

Also, did you have to build that awesome support system because you didn’t have room to nail the molding to the cabinets? I have existing molding so I think I’ll be able to skip that step… I’ll let you know how it turns out!

… And YES! Painting or staining cabinets is a HUGE pain in the butt! A TON of work, but so worth it! :)

I’ve found Lowe’s and Home Depot are really expensive for molding and don’t have a great selection. There’s a place in town I go to called “Molding and Millworks.” I’d recommend finding someplace like that if you can.

Yes, the support system was because I didn’t have enough room to nail it on. If you have existing molding, you should be okay. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!!

It definitely takes some practice, but it’s honestly not that hard once you get the hang of things. You should try it! I’m going to do the picture frame molding on a few walls when I’m done. It’s such a classic look and it’s really fun to paint the inside in either a slightly darker or slightly lighter shade than the rest of your walls!